Sure, this resembles a recent episode of Utopia… But scientists from UNESCO (the United Nations body that oversees world heritage sites) have released their draft recommendations, and the Great Barrier Reef’s status has not been downgraded. Rather than being classified as ‘in danger’, as flagged in June 2021, the reef will remain on the ‘serious threat’ list. The Albanese Government said it shows Labor’s 43% emissions reduction target by 2030 and “clear commitments” to cut greenhouse gas emissions have hit the mark. Not looking so good is Venice – UNESCO says it’s ‘in danger’, citing Italy’s lack of progress on “mass tourism, development projects and climate change”. Next steps: a meeting in September to discuss the draft, and Australia has already been asked for a progress report on the reef by next February.